by Serena James
She panted, “Yes, thanks. I just feel a bit dazed and I hurt all over.” He watched her grimace with pain again and decided to get her somewhere more comfortable and out of the way of the boy. Gently he put his arm around her shoulders and helped her raise herself from the floor. Tom had the boy pushed down in a chair and was aiming his handgun at him. The boy sat holding his bleeding arm. Kane sat Rebecca on a chair and told her to stay put. But she surprised him when she started talking to the boy.
“You wouldn’t tell me your name earlier. But I remember now. Your name is Niran Shinawatra. You were with me in the truck before we were caught.” The boy looked at her with contempt and rattled off some abuse at her in Bundenese. Kane knew that Rebecca had a wide knowledge of many languages from her well-travelled career and the boy clearly knew she would understand him. Rebecca’s eyes widened with affront and she snapped something unintelligible back in Bundenese.
Kane jumped on them both. “In English.”
Rebecca eyed Kane with irritation and then continued with firmness. “Niran you have to realise that I have lost my memory. I can’t remember details. I need you to fill in the blanks.”
“Get this man with the gun off me, then I will speak.”
Kane told him, “No he stays.”
He sounded like a petulant child. “Then I won’t talk”.
Rebecca tried to reason with him. “Niran. I gave you that laptop. I obviously trusted you and it was important. I need you to help me remember.”
Silence ensued and then the boy sat up in his chair and leaned forward to fire back at her. “How can you not remember? Doctor Somwan told you everything. She is relying on you.”
“What is she relying on me for?”
The boy shook his head refusing to talk. Kane was irritated, they weren’t getting anywhere like this. He could already hear the police sirens and they didn’t have much time to question the boy. Kane made a decision to take control of the interview back from Rebecca. He put the Uzi down on the bed and took out his semi-automatic handgun. He stalked up to the boy and raised him from the chair by his shirt collar to drag him across the room. He flung the boy against the wall.
Kane held the terrified teenager against the wall with one hand. He pointed the Glock 17 at Niran, indenting the rim of its muzzle into his forehead. He took the safety off. The boy’s eyes turned upwards to look at the gun. To Kane, Niran looked about fourteen. Fifteen at a push. He had seen younger boys kill and just like the rest of them he would think he was a soldier. He didn’t have any doubts that Niran had killed men, women and other children before. He also knew that Niran wouldn’t listen to politely asked questions – this was the language he understood and respected.
Kane informed him coldly. “You are going to tell me everything I want to know. If you don’t I am going to kill you.”
Rebecca was horrified. “Dominic, he is just a kid.” Kane sensed her presence at his side.
He was impatient with her, “He is old enough to drug, threaten, hit you and decorate the room with bullets from a machine gun, nearly killing us both. Move away Rebecca. I don’t want you near him.”
As usual she was stubborn. “No way. There is no way I am going to let you kill him.”
“Tom, move her back.”
Kane heard her snap angrily at Tom when he caught her wrist and moved her to a safe distance. To Kane’s relief he kept tight hold of her. All of the boy’s bravado had disappeared. There were tears running down his face now. He tried to move but Kane struck him hard in the chest with his palm forcing him back.
“I know this is not the way you expected to die, Niran. This is a wasted death. You are a fighter for your country. You aren’t the type of terrorist who wants to be killed for not giving information. You want to die a glorious death in battle. Don’t you?”
Kane couldn’t believe the level of sarcasm behind his words. He had been a soldier for most of his life and still was to some extent. But somehow the very idea of it filled him with a sense of anger and futility. That was why he’d left the Royal Marines. After Rebecca left he lost the purpose to his life he’d found and all that remained was Kane, the trained killer. He’d felt empty. That was when he knew he had to get out. The boy was suddenly pleading with him. “I will talk only to Rebecca. Please, you are right. I don’t want to die this way.”
Kane’s voice was quiet and as soft as velvet when he spoke. “You will talk to me. I am going to count to five and then I am going to kill you. One...”
Rebecca “S voice was filled with horrified disbelief. “Dominic. He’s a child. You can’t kill him.”
“Two... three... “
He could hear Rebecca struggle to get free of Tom’s hold. Niran pleaded once more. “Please, I can’t...I am not allowed. I can’t... they will kill me.”
“I will if you don’t, four... five.”
Kane moved back. He straightened his arm holding the semi-automatic and removed his hand from the boy’s chest so he could make a perfect shot, execution style. That was when Niran held his hands up, screamed and started spilling information.
“Rebecca came to see Doctor Somwan because she asked her. Doctor Somwan wants the help of your government in our fight against the oppressive regime the military junta holds over our people. She has chosen Rebecca to speak for us to your government. She will not trust anyone else.
Kane watched the boy’s eyes move to Rebecca. “She is relying on you.” Niran’s voice was childlike, distressed, attempting to appeal to Rebecca. Kane wasn’t fooled. He kept his gun pressed against the boy’s forehead.
“Rebecca and Mr. Jed came to interview Doctor Somwan. She gave you a recorded message for your government and asked them to meet with her. She wants your army and the Americans” to invade South Bundhara. If they do, they will receive help from the Bundenese Liberation Army for certain concessions and demands. Rebecca is to make sure those demands are met before an agreement can be reached.”
Kane demanded, “What happened to Rebecca?”
“I was helping her get back to the border. We had to move quickly. Someone had betrayed their location to the army. We had to run. We made it to my uncle’s house and we took his truck. Rebecca drove.” He continued narrating everything Kane had heard Rebecca tell him earlier that morning.
Niran spoke directly to Rebecca. “I watched them kill Mr. Jed and I saw them take you away. We learned that you had been tortured and then you were taken by the men in the white masks. The doctors who come in the night to steal our people from their beds and the streets. We thought you would be dead but we heard about your escape.”
Kane glanced at Rebecca wondering if any of it struck a chord. Her face visibly paled when Niran mentioned the doctors in the white masks. She closed her eyes and screwed them up tight and shuddered as though she was unable to shake the memory. Rebecca asked Niran, “Is there anything else on the laptop?”
“Yes. There are photographs of the hospital.”
“The hospital?”
“The hospital where the western doctors take the people to steal their organs. The Southern Bundenese Army and government have allowed them to do this. They are making money from it. There are many other facilities where they take the organs but the hospital is the main one. We took you there. We are the only people who know where it is.”
Rebecca said, “I remember the hospital, the men in white.” Kane didn’t like the sudden way her features paled. He gestured his concern at Tom who made her sit down.
Niran looked up at Kane. “Doctor Somwan told us of charity clinics set up by western doctors with the army and the government’s help. Patients started to disappear, only to be returned dead and with their organs missing. Anyone who opposes the government disappears in one of these clinics or the hospital. People are being taken from the prisons, from the streets, the orphanages, and other hospitals.”
Rebecca interrupted Niran. “They are forcibly operated on. All of their major organs are taken piecemeal, when needed. They ev
en take their eyes for the corneas and sometimes their skin. If they are still alive and no longer needed they are made to work in a camp. The army starves them and they often die from infection and disease.”
Niran answered her. “Yes, and you escaped.”
“I can’t remember how. All I can see is myself lying on an operating table with the men in white looking down at me. I can’t see any of their faces. They were covered by masks.”
Niran sounded imperious as he spoke with passion for his country. “Rebecca you must remember. They are raping our country and our people of their right to live. The rich westerners and North Bundenese pay for the organs. These doctors steal from our people to line their own pockets. If you do not bring those responsible to justice and convince your government that we must be given power to run the country after the invasion - there will be consequences. You have four days left Rebecca. If you fail to act, four suicide bombs will go off in London on Friday in your rush hour.”
“You can’t do that. I don’t know if the government will agree to your demands and I can’t remember...”
“It is up to you to remember and make sure your government does as we ask. If you don’t, you will be responsible for the murder of hundreds of your own people.”
Kane snapped at Niran to shut up. He turned him around roughly to face the wall as the youth continued shouting at Rebecca about what would happen if she failed. “It is all in your memory. She gave you names to investigate. You have to get that laptop working. The future of South Bundhara depends on you. You have to move quickly. We have heard that the doctors are sending men to kill you when the invasion starts. You know too much. They won’t let you stop them. You must hurry.”
Kane gave Rebecca a glance. She was standing up again, facing the window, her back to him. Her arms were folded and her head was bent. Kane gave Niran a sharp kick to his legs and he became quiet. A heavy silence settled on the room. It felt claustrophobic. Kane was angry. He told Niran. “You can’t put that responsibility on Rebecca. It’s unfair.” He was at pains to defend her. “Murdering people won’t gain you any support in the West.”
“We have no choice. Just as we had no choice to force Rebecca to come to South Bundhara.” Niran started shouting at Rebecca again, “Do you remember what we said we would do if you didn’t come?” There was no answer. “We told you that we would kill him. We still will if you don’t do as we ask. I recognise him now Rebecca. I recognise him from the photographs that were taken of him to convince you how easy it would be.”
Kane shook him against the wall. “Who the hell are you talking about?” Kane had a bad feeling that he knew the answer before Niran gave it to him.
“She came to protect you. You are Dominic Kane.”
Kane could hardly speak. He was stunned. He turned to Rebecca . “Rebecca, is this true?” She still had her back to him. She was silent. He wanted her answer now. He shouted at her hard deafening the whole room, “Rebecca look at me. Is it true?” Did you risk your life for me? She jumped and slowly turned around. She had her arms folded protectively around her body. She couldn’t meet his eyes.
She said quietly, “Yes, I remember. A man followed me home one night. He stopped me at the front door when I made a run for it. It was the second time I’d been followed that week. But this time he forced his way into the house. I had told Somwan I wasn’t going. He made me look at photographs of you. He said someone was watching you all of the time, someone who worked for you. He was going to kill you then go after your family. He was going to make sure the doctors got your sister and took her organs. I couldn’t let them...”
He could see a tremor in her body now and her eyes were filling with water. The memories were causing her pain and distress. He was shocked. He felt the anger inside him bubble very close to the surface. How could she have put herself at risk like that? For him? For Kate? A woman she didn’t even know. He was in awe. He was angry, furious with her. He was in love with her much deeper than he realised. She was tortured, raped and beaten half to death and nearly killed, all because she went to save his sorry neck. He wanted to kill her for it.
He put his semi-automatic away and turned Niran around to face him. He grabbed the boy’s throat and pushed him against the wall once more. He leaned in close to Niran’s face. He could hear Rebecca protesting but her brother was in the room now and was holding her back with Tom.
He snarled at Niran, “You go back to your pathetic group of killers and tell them that once this is over I am going to make them pay for what they are putting Rebecca through.” His hand gripped tighter around the boy’s throat to emphasise his intent. Niran’s eyes bulged and his face reddened and then began to turn purple in response.
After a few more seconds he let go of the boy’s throat. Niran’s hand immediately flew to it as he coughed and spluttered when air hit the back of his throat again. He gave Kane a fearful look. Kane shouted, “I said go.” Niran gave Rebecca a last hopeful look and then scrambled through the door. Kane turned to everyone in the room. They were all staring at him apart from Michael who was glaring at him. He had obviously arrived just as Niran had explained why Rebecca had gone to South Bundhara. Kane wasn’t in the mood for any more arguments with him.
He told them all firmly, the tone in his voice menacing, “I want everyone in the room to leave apart from Rebecca. I need to talk to her alone.” Rebecca looked fearful as he moved towards her. He was so damn angry he was unsure he was going to be able to contain his temper any longer if he didn’t get to speak to her. But to his dismay and frustration she took two steps back from him.
Michael Eaton immediately stepped in front of his sister to shield her. Kane felt Michael press his palm firmly in his chest to halt his progress. He looked down at Michael’s hand with contempt. Michael said, “You are not going anywhere near my sister. You have done more than enough to her.” Kane narrowed his eyes to a sharp point. His anger was burning now. Michael appeared to be undeterred.
He told Michael in a controlled voice that did not mirror the swirl of emotions inside him, “Take your hand off me now. I am tired of you getting in my way.” But the man wouldn’t give up.
Michael raised his voice and firmly rebuked him. “I knew you were bad news Kane. You’ve screwed my sister up. I nearly lost the only family I have because of you. I don’t want you anywhere near her. Now back off.”
“I said take your hand off me. I am going to speak to your sister. Move it.”
“No. She stays with me so you can’t do any more damage to her.”
Too far, Michael. In one quick movement he took hold of Michael’s arm from his chest and twisted it around. Ignoring Michael’s grunt of pain Kane hit the back of his arm hard and forced him down on his knees.
Michael shouted at him, “You are breaking my fucking arm. Rebecca, get out of the room now. If you go near her, Kane...” Kane felt himself tighten his grip.
“You’ll do what. You are hardly in any position to do anything...”
Rebecca took a step forward again. She looked nervous as hell. She told him fiercely in a shaky voice, “Leave my brother alone. Don’t hurt his arm, he’s a surgeon. I won’t talk to you and I will leave this hospital on my own if you don’t stop hurting him.”
Tom was by his side. In his uncaring light hearted voice that lent an almost amusing musical tone to his Scottish accent, he said, “I hate to be a pain boss but I reckon he’s got your message. Leave him to me. I will make sure he leaves.”
When he just stared at Rebecca and kept holding Michael, Tom leaned towards him and whispered. “You are frightening the lassie Dominic. It won’t go down well if you beat her brother up and it looks like you are on track to win her back. Don’t fuck it up now. All of the lads will be pissed at you. They have all been desperate to help the boss protect his woman.”
Kane knew it was his cue from Tom to come back from the brink. He was going too far. He still stared at Rebecca. She refused to look directly at him and it was bugging the h
ell out of him. He wanted to see what she was feeling. Probably angry at the way you are treating her brother. She can’t even remember who he is. He abruptly let go of Michael’s arm. Before Michael could stand up on his own and deliver a blow to Kane’s face, Tom pulled him away. The way to Rebecca was now clear. She looked afraid at that prospect.
Tom asked him quickly, “You all right handling this on your own? Have you calmed down boss?”
Kane simply narrowed his eyes at Tom. Tom nodded and dragged a struggling Michael outside. Kane stayed where he was, studying her intently. He couldn’t help wondering how she had felt about him all the time they had been apart. He felt confused and elated. She always provoked every emotion in him. They were more than often contradictory. She was one hell of a challenge for him to master. Always kept him guessing. That was why he loved her.
Kane walked forward with purpose. He wanted to know how she felt. But as he approached her she retreated from him towards the window. Frustrated, he reached out and roughly took hold of her arm. She looked terrified. He frowned as he pulled her to him. She had to know that he would never hurt her. But then he reminded himself that she didn’t know him in her present state of mind. She had every right to feel afraid of him. He still held her arm in a firm grasp not willing to let her escape from him again.
Her voice sounded nervous as she asked him, “What do you want from me?”
She spoke like a stranger. He answered her sharply, unable to disguise his frustration. “I want to know why you would do something like that for me? Don’t look away. I need to know.” He was relieved when she made contact with his eyes again. He searched them looking for the truth and any signs of her being evasive. She stared back at him suddenly pensive.
